Egg-case.



' PATENTED DEC. 22, 1903. E. F. WARD.

EGG CASE.

APPLICATION FILED rm. 14, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '1.

HO MODEL.

amen/ oz Q x.

No. 747,518 PATENTED DEC. 22, 19-63.v

- B. F. WARD.

EGG GASE.

APPLIOATIOH TILED FEB. 14, 1903- I0 IODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET z andfoldedcondition.

UNITED STATES Patented December 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFI E.

EGG-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,518, dated December22, 1903. Application filed February 14, 1903. Serial No. 143.458. (Nomodel.)

To 00 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. WARD, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Atlanta,county of Fulton,and State of Georgia,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Egg-Gases, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a case of this class which willbe cheaper, more durable, and efficient than those heretofore made andwhich may be folded into a small space when not in use. These and otherobjects I accomplish by means of my invention, one embodiment of whichis hereinafter disclosed.

For a more particular description of my invention reference is to be hadto theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which Figure l isa plan view ofv acase embodying my invention, the case being shown open.Fig.2 is a plan View of a closed case. Fig. 3 is a sectional view takenon the line 3 f Fig.- 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic plan viewsshowing the case in a partially-folded Fig. 6 is a side elevation of afolded case. Fig. 7 shows the blank from which the case is folded, andFigs. 8 and 9 show the blanks of the fillers or partitions. Throughoutthe various views similar reference characters designate similar parts.

The blank from which my improved case is formed may be of cardboard, orthick paper, or any other suitable material, and comprises therectangular sides 1, 2, 3, and 4, which are bon nded by the edgesor'folding-lines 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10, and 11, and the edges 7and 11 areunited by means of a flap 12, which extends from the edge 11.Folding-lines 13 and 14 run parallel to the lines 5 and 6, and from themextend flaps 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22, which form the top andbottom of the case. The flaps attached to each line are provided withregistering slits 23 and 24, respectively. When the case is erected andclosed, the flaps 17 to 22, inclusive, cover the entire. top and bottom,but not adjacent to the edges of the- 'side,because the strips betweenthe lines 5 and 13 and 6 and 14, respectively, are folded inwardly onthe lines 5 and 6, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that these strips restagainst the sides 1, 2, 3, and 4, and these flaps extend at right anglesto the strips.

. The filler or partitions, may be made for any number of eggs that thecase is designed to carry. In the embodiment of my invention hereindescribed the case is made to carry a dozen eggs,and the partitions aremade accordingly.- These partitions comprise two separate sections 25and 26., The section 25 is provided with corner-pieces 27, 28, 29, 30,31, 32, 33, and 34, which are made a little longer than the distancebetween the folding-lines 5 and 6 and are bounded by the edges orfolding-lines 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47.Between these corner-pieces are parts 48, 49, 50, and 51, whose width isequal to the distance between the lines 5 and 6 less the width of thestrips, so that they are adapted to fit between the top and bottom ofthe case. Sl its 52, which extend from the upper edges of the parts 48and 50, are adapted to engage slits 53, which extend from the loweredges of the parts 49 and 51.

The partition 26 is provided with the end flaps 56 and 57, which areabout the same width as the corner-piece 27, and in the transversecenter of this partition are tabs or ears 58' and 59, which are adaptedto pass through the slits 23 and 24, respectively, to hold the top andbottom flaps in place. Extending upwardly from the lower edge of thepartition are slits 60, which are adapted to engage the slits 52.

The case is erected from the blank by folding the strips between thelines 13 and 5 and 6 and 14, respectively, underthe sides 1. 2, 3, and4, and then folding'the flaps 15 to 22, inclusive, back on the lines 13and 14 until the said flaps are'parallel to the sides and extend asshown in Fig. 6. The sides are then folded at right angles on the lines8, 9, and 10, and the flap 12 is secured to the side 1. The bottom flapsare then folded in place, and the case is then ready to receive thefilling or partitions. The filling or partitions are then folded, asindicated in Figs. 1 and 4, so that the cornerpieces 27 and 34, 28 and29, 30 and 31, and 32 and 33 form two faces of a square prism which hasvertical angles with a rectangular prism formed by the engagement of theslits 52 with the slits 53 of the parts 48 and 50 and 49 and 51,respectively. The central slits 52 are then engaged by slits .60 in thepartition 26. The filling is then placed in the case, and the edges orflaps on the cornerpieces 27 to 34, inclusive, are placed between thesides 1, 2, 3, and 4 and the strips between theliues 5 and 13 and 6 and14, respectively, and the ends of the flaps 56 and 57 are similarlyinserted and preferably fixed to the sides 2 and 4. The tongue 59 isthen made to pass through the slits 23 and locks the flaps 15, 17, 19,and 21 in place and when the case is filled the flaps 16, 18, 20, and 22are similarly held by the tongue 59, which passes through the slits 24.

It is not necessary to fill the case immediately after erection. Theflaps 15, 17, 19, and 21 may be opened and the case folded or collapsed,as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, and the case may then be either stored orpacked and transported.

The filling reinforces and strengthens the case by the corner-pieces 27to 34, inclusive, which rest against the sides and extend beneath thestrips from top to bottom, and also by the partitions which rest betweenthe top and bottom flaps. The case is further strengthened by the saidstrips, which are folded back upon and reinforce the edges of the sidesand materially stiffen the structure, particularly when the flaps areclosed,as they engage these strips. For these reasons I have found thatthinner paper or cardboard may be used on this structure than in anyother of the same capacity heretofore made and thinner paper may be usedin the partitions, because the corner-pieces 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33,and 34 hold the parts 48, 49, 50, and 51 in tension, so that they arestretched taut.

While I have shown my invention as embodied in an egg-case, it isobvious that bya slight change of proportions it may be adapted toreceive fruit or vegetables or other articles and that when the case isfilled with such articles it may be closed and sealed and used as asealed package. This is of especial value in retailing eggs, which maybe packed on the farm and the package sealed and dated before shipping,so that the consunier is protected and may know the genuineuess of whathe buys. This structure has the additional advantage of having the sidesextend beyond the top and bottom flaps, so that the contents do not comein immediate contact with a rigid surface either above or below.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it isobvious that many other embodiments may be made which are fullequivalents, and so I regard all structures as equivalents which comewithin the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. A blank foregg-cases and the like, comprising sides, a single and continuous stripextending along each of the sides and adapted to fold thereon,independent flaps extending from said strip and adapted to form the topand bottom of the case.

2. A blank for egg-cases and the like, comprising sides, a continuousstrip extending along the sides, and adapted to fold thereon, and flapsextending from the strip. 3. A blank for egg-case fillers and the like,comprising slitted sections and corner-pieces, the ends of which extendtransversely beyond said slitted sections, said parts being so arrangedthat when the blank is bent up to interlock to form the cells, the saidcorner-pieces will be bent at approximately a right angle to each other,and their protruding ends will extend above and below the edges of theslitted sections.

4. A blank for egg-cases and the like, comprising sides, a single andcontinuous strip extending along each of said sides, and independentrectangular flaps extending from said strip.

5. A blank for egg-cases and the like, comprising sides, a continuousstrip extending along said sides and adapted to fold thereon, andrectangular flaps extending from said strip which are adapted to formthe bottom of the case.

6. A case for eggs and the like, comprising sides, strips folded againstthe said sides, flaps forming a bottom and a top extending from saidstrips, and fillers in said case with portions extending between saidsides and stri ps.

7. A case for eggs and the like, comprising sides, a top and a bottom, afiller, and tongues passing through said top and bottom which connectthem with said filler.

8. A case for eggs and the like, comprising sides, strips folded againstthe said sides, slitted flapsforming a top and bottom extending fromsaid strips, fillers in said caseand tongues on said fillers which areadapted to protrude through the slits and hold said filler to said topand bottom.

9. A case for eggs and the like, comprising sides, strips folded againstsaid sides, flaps forming a bottom and top extending from said strips,fillers in said case with portions extending between said sides andstrips, and means on said fillers for securing them to said flaps.

10. Acase for eggs and the like, comprising sides, strips folded againstthe said sides, flaps forming a bottom and top extending from saidstrips, slitted fillers in said cases with portions extending betweensaid sides and strips, and tongues on said fillers which are adapted tosecure them to said flaps.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

- E. F. WARD. Witnesses:

B. F. LONGLEY, CHAS. H. BOWEN.

ICC

